Automatic sprinkler system.



No. 881,207. PATENTED SEPT. 18, 1906.

W. BAUER.

A-UTOMATICSPRINKLER SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED M1312, 1906.

v/wmww UNITED sT rns PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BAUER, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- SEVENTH TOMINOR C. PETER, ONE-SEVENTH TO WARREN H.

RICHARDSON, ONE-SEVENTH TO ALBERT RUETLINGER, ONE- SEVENTH TO EDWARD J.l\ IILLER,'AND

OF LOUISVILLE,

NEAT, OF NEW ALBANY, INDIANA.

LANDO C. RICHARDSON, SEVENTH TO BENJAMIN C.

ONE-SEVENTH TO OR- KENTUCKY, AND ONE- AUTOIVIATI C SPRINKLER SYSTEM.

No. s31,2o7.

Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BAUER, of Louisville, in the county ofJefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Sprinkler Systems; and I hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, which forms part of thisspecification.

This invention is an improvement in automatic sprinkler systems forextinguishing fires in buildings, in which a system of piping isdistributed throughout the building and equipped with a series ofsprinkler-heads, which are closed with some material fusible at acomparatively low temperature, so that if a fire occurs in the vicinityof the sprinklerhead the seal is fused and water is admitted into theapartment. Such apparatus are customarily provided with some meansintended to close an electrical circuit and transmit notice of the fireto some distant point, as to a fire department, so that unnecessary lossby water can be prevented if the fire is automatically extinguished, orthe apparatus may be supplemented by the work of the department The mostusual means of closing the circuit is to employ a plunger which is movedoutward by the inrush of water and operates an electric switch whichcloses the alarm-circuit. The present invention relates moreparticularly to this part of the system.

Where such systems are installed, the rate of premium on fire-insuranceis reduced; but the fire-insurance underwriters, however, require thatthe alarm part of the system be tested at stated intervals to maintainthe risks in force, but when making such tests it is very desirable thatthe water system be not disturbed.

In order to test the electrical circuit in the apparatus as nowconstructed, a short-circuiting switch is installed in the alarm system,and by closing this switch the alarm will be sounded if the electricalconnections are in roper condition; but this short-circuiting switchmerely tests the electrical part of the system and does not show whetheror not any p articularly does 'rupt the sprinkling system in from themain, and

other part of the system is out of order and i not determine whether ornot. the water-operated plunger for closing I the main switch is or isnot in working order, and in order to test this it is necessary to disbyemptying it of water or airby opening the drainage-pipe, which willcause the unseating of the pressure-controlled valve and allow water toflow thus operate the plunger in the same way that it would be operatedif a sprinklenhead was unsealed in the intended automatic action of theapparatus. This action of course temporarily puts the entiredistributing system out of action, and

for the period of time during which such a test is made the apparatus istemporarily useless; Such method of testing is therefore impractical,inconvenient, and troublesome, and for these reasons the operativenessof the plunger cannot be or is not tested in the present systems, and asthey sometimes are not called into action at all and generally not formonths at a time it frequently happens that when a fire occurs theplunger has become stuck in its cylinder by corrosion or other cause,and although the hydraulic part of the system may operate perfectly andwater is supplied to the apartment where the fire occurs the alarm isnot given, and the fire sometimes gains such headway that great lossresults, or, on the other hand, the fire may be extinguished; but thewater continuing to flow unchecked produces greater damage than thefire.

The object of this invention is to enable the operativeness of theentire alarm part of the system to be tested at will without disturbingthe sprinkler system at all and to dispense with the short-circuitingswitch, if desired, and thus by my invention such test can be madewithout disturbing the water system as expeditiously and as convenientlyas the present partial test of the merely electrical parts of the systemcan be made.

In the accompanying drawings vI have illustrated my invention thepresent known acceptable and satisfactorily working sprinkler systems,and the invention will be fully understood from the as applied to one ofIOO following description in connection with said drawing, andsummarized in the claims.

The drawing represents, partly in section and partly in diagrammaticalelevation, a sprinkler system embodying my invention and showing themeans for testing the operativeness of the plunger and electricalalarmcircuit.

The main water-supply pipe A is connected to the still main or tankcontaining a constant supply of water. The distributingpipe D isconnected to pipe A by an automaticallycontrolled pressure-valve C,which is of well-known construction and is therefore simplydiagrammatically illustrated in the drawing, and B is amanually-operated valve between main pipe A and valve 0, by which thewater can be manually cut off whenever it is desired as,forinstance,when removing or renewing the sprinkler-heads.

E designates one of the subsidiary distributing-pipes connected to pipeD and customarily arranged along the ceiling of the apartment andprovided with a series of sprinkler-heads e, sealed by a materialfusible at a low temperature, as customary.

d is an indicator-gage for pipe D, and a an indicator-gage for pipe A.

The pipes D E can be filled with water or air and water under a pressuresuflicient to keep valve C closed against the pressure of water in mainA until the pressure in pipe D is reduced by the opening of one or moreof the sprinkler-heads.

The distributing system may be drained by a pipe 0, having a valve 0,said pipe being preferably connected with the pressure-valve casing, andwhen opened it will drain the water out of the distributing systemduring repairs thereon.

In order to send an alarm automatically when the sprinkler system is putin operation by the opening of one of the sprinkler-heads, an electricalcircuit is provided which usually comprises a main switch F, havingopposite terminals 9 h, connected to conductors G H, which lead to analarm or indicator I, located wherever desired. The circuit can beclosed by a switch-piece f, which can be moved so as to close thecircuit between 9 h by means of a rod j on a plunger J, confined in acylinder K, located adjacent to switch F. Cylinder K is connected withthe casing of valve 0 above the water-inlet by a pipe 7: and has adrain-pipe k, by which it can be em tied. The cylinder K is normallyempty and plunger J retracted and switch F open; but if a sprinkler-heade is unsealed and valve C unseated, thereby admitting water into pipe D,water flows through pipe is into cylinder K and forces plunger J outwardand its stem j engages and actuates switch-piecef, closing the circuitthrough the alarm.

Customarily a short-circuiting switch L is placed near switch F, so thatthe electrical alarm-circuit can be readily tested; but obviously theclosing of this switch would not indicate at all whether or not plungerJ was in operative condition, and heretofore in order to test it itwould require opening of drain-valve O to allow the water to be drainedout of the distributing system and also permit the inrush of water fromwatermain A through valve B and valve G into pipe 7c and into cylinderK, raising plunger J, thereby actuating switch F and closing thealarm-circuit.

To enable switch L to be dispensed with and to accurately test theoperativeness of plunger J without disturbing the hydraulic system orthe connections between the electrical and hydraulic system, I employthe following devices or their equivalents. A pipe M is connected withthe pipe A and with the cylinder K directly or indirectly, it beingconveniently connected with cylinder Kby joining it to pipe is near thecylinder. Pipe M is provided with a hand-valve or stop-cock m, which iskept closed except when it is desired to test the plunger and electricalparts of the apparatus. To make such a test, it is merely necessary toopen stop-cock m,whereupon water enters cylinder K, and if the plungeris in working order the latter is forced out, closing switch F andtransmitting the alarm.

The pipe 7c may be provided with a turningplug 7c", which plug isnormally open, but should be closed during the time the testvalve m isopen and especially when drainpipe is is opened to avoid disturbing theequilibrium of the distributing system during a test of the signalingdevice.

The utility of the invention is obvious from the foregoing and removes agreat many practical objections to such fire-extinguishing systems,facilitates testing of the apparatus, and does not disturb theelectrical or hydraulic connections of the system at all whiledemonstrating and testing the practicalworking efficiency of the systemsimply and thoroughly. After the test is made stop-cock m is closed andthe cylinder drained through pipe is until another test is made or thehydraulic system comes into play automatically.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automatic fire-extinguishing system the combination of thewater-supply pipe, the distributin -pipes, the electrical alarm system,a cylin er and a plunger therein adapted to close the circuit of theelectrical system when forced outward; with a pipe connection betweenthe distributingpipes and the cylinder adapted to admit water into thecylinder when the distributingplpes are opened; and a pipe connecting tothe main water-supply and to the cylinder,

whereby the plunger may be operated to test the alarm system withoutdisturbing the distributing system, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic fireextinguishing sprinkling apparatus, thecombination of the main supply pipe, the distributing pipe,sprinkler-heads connected with the distributing-pipe; an electricalalarm-circuit, a switch for closing the circuit, a cylinder, a plungertherein adapted to close said switch, and a pipe connecting saidcylinder with the distributingpipe; with a valved pipe connecting thewater-supply pipe with the cylinder and adapted to admit water theretoindependently of the distributing-pipe system, whereby the plunger maybe operated to test the electrical circuit, Without disturbing thedistributing system, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In an automatic fireextinguishing sprinkler system, the combinationof the main water-supply pipe, the distributingpipes, thepressure-controlled valve between said pipes, sprinkler-heads connectedwith the distributing-pipe; an electrical alarmcircuit, a switch forclosing the circuit, a cylinder, a plunger therein adapted to close saidswitch, and a pipe connecting said cylinder with the pressure-valvecasing; with a valved pipe connecting the water-supply pipe with thecylinder and adapted to admit water thereto independently ofthepressure-valve or distributing-pipe system, whereby the plunger may beoperated to test the electrical circuit, without disturbing thedistributing system, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I a'll'iX my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM BAUER. In presence of HENRY KRAUSGILL, IDA L. GRANT.

